The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-22
LIFE CLOSELY CALLED.
AN OFFICERS NARROW ESCAPE
FROM 4 CUBAN GALLOWS.

Eer-A photograph copy OF FreSl-
dent Lincolu's Order for Button
From TIE PaiLGdelDhia Pres
MILWAUKEE,, Sept. I2.-In November,
l5Sl, I had Just returned from Mississippi,
where had beea 10 invest gate the military
strength Of the Confeierates, which trip in
creased KY weight by two ounces Of Con
fe3erate lead and ny shoulder straps by the
eesssAe bars q captain While | was
waiting transportation u the North at Key
West, Fla, the superior officer there received
information that a very valuable English
blockade runner mad been chased
into Cumberland HaTbOr, small
port IN the island Of Cuba
by naval cruiser. ard it was essen
tial that knowledge should Be secured as to
her future movements, destination, etc. To
relieve toe nIGnotOny Of the Russell House
and It's only recreation. the billiard room,
volunteered To look up JOh1ny Bulls
steamer, and at the same time enjoy a trip
u Cuba A masteF's mate Of the United
States frigate San Jscinto was 10 be my
companion. He was a native Of New
jersey, and spoke Spanish with Camden
accent but as be was said TO be thoroughly
reliable and fearleSs was selected from the
many naval officers volunteering for the
trip.
For two days we took peculiar baths in
lukeyaTm water, deeply cOlOred with the
juice OF chestnut burS, and at the end Of
that time were skin-dsep SONS Of Cast1lian
ancestry. The dye did not greatly enhance
our beauty. but nevertheless was quite
necessary for the success % our undertak-
ing. The first visit ] paid 10 the old navy
commodore, dressed IN the garb Of Cuban,
brought forth such store Of buried naval
academy Spanish that fairly drove the old
gentleman into furious rage by laughing
1 10
and the disguise was pronounced excellent
The following midnight a naval gig landed
Us On the shores OF the Queen Of the Antilles
few miles below Cumberland HarbOr.
when the fun commenced. When the sun
arose we were within two miles OF a small
hamlet adjacent u the fort which guards
the entrance 20 Cumberland HarbOr. where
my companion persisted II exploring the
nearest house for breakfast, einbellished as
1t afterwards proved with aqua diente.
TOO MUCH CUBAN DRINK
He was navy officer and an army one,
and the inevitable clash Of authority took
place with the looked for resuIt-that he
went. The minority member Of the expedi-
ton gracefully succumbed and sought shell
ter in the bushes by g hill, where a spy
glass enabled him TO scOur the country
around. Within ten minutes after the
New jersey Spaniard had entered the
hamlet a native with rapid strides
was vending his way to the fort. II
looked very suspicious, and when be re
turned ACCOMPANIED by five Spanish soldiers
Of the garrison ! felt that the blockade
runner would not be troubled by our excur-
sion. At the back Of the nil l was occupy
ing large oga which reared its magnificent
branches on nigh, and being angry enough
to wish my elf out Of the world | climbed
the tree and at almost the same moment my
companion came forth surrounded by five
warriors Of the Cuban army. and every
man, woman and child Of the hamlet. HIS
unsteady gait when at a dist3 nee and beau
tful flow Of unauthorized American pro-
family when IN hearing convinced me that
he at least was not a Prohibitionist, and
fervently prayed for his conversion.
The procession stopped within fifty yards
of my tree, and the sOldiery keeping watch
oyer the blue jacket ordered the natives to
search the vicinity. An unkempt, dirty
little brat Of Jess than five summers, dressed
in an abbre Waited shirt Of very common
material pointed his coff ee-cOlored finger to
the sky parlor of the writer and yelled
Americana. In the shortest moment the
tree was surrounded by a gesticulating mob
OF villagers anxious to catch a glimpse of
the non-featbered denizen The loud
voiced command ''Descendo," enforced by
the lineal direction of five gun barrels. was
Obeyed with perhaps undlgDified but GER
1 tor reached the ground he was subjected to
an overhauling which proved a Spanish
| soldier to be tit for custom house official
| They found and kept every article in my
| possession but pair Of trousers and a blue
| wooden shirt, giving me an old straw hat,
| apparently in use for decade, in lieu of the
| new SLOUGH had worn.
| We were driven to the fort and as the
| prick of the baYonet viii make a person
| lively in his forward movement we arrived
| quickly at our destination. The capitano
III charge of the guard was blessed with the
| physiognomy Of brute and the rapacity of
| bandit. He stole my Undertaking, and
| bundled both OF Us into q cell Of the fort de-
| void of furniture, but full Of pests too vile
| for description. An hour afterward the
cell door was opened and We were conducted
to the commanding officers quarters, where
/ SO-caled investigation tOOs place After
! being asked our names, BIRTHPLACE, resi-
/ dence. etc, the officer informed rs that we
were American filibusters cal,sbt in the at
1 tempt to join Cuban insurgents, who were
/ in the vicinity, and that we
would be sent TO Cumberland Harbor,
| tried by the military court, and no
/ doubt sentenced 70 be hanged. 1t was of no
| earthly use to talk against tliiS decision of
| the fort commander, but my rummy com
| panion persisted IN telling tile caballero in
rather strong language what his unbiased
1 opinion OF SUCH treatment was, ana thew
| gagged the JeIseyite in consequence A
| conveyance was made ready 10 transport
US TO the city, and as it was rot often they
! captured anybody they did IL IN style. A
very common looking Cuban donkey, with
large basket swung on both sides, made
| his appearance. We were tied hands and
| feet, or rather ''bucked," and deposited In
| the basket, my naval chum on the star
board and myself on the other side of the
| quadruped, when the procession moved,
| surrounded by eight soldiers and a lieuten-
ant, and all the ragamuflias in the village.
CONDEMNED TO DEATH.
II was high noon before the procession
halted in front Of the common jail of Cum
bcrland Harbor, and tie contents of the
baskets were lifted out and deposited in a
room 10 feet square and about II feet high.
A window strongly barred, 2 feet in dame
ter AMI over feet from the ground, was the
only aperture giving light and air to the
apartment, after the door WAS closet At 1
p. m, we were brought before a military
court consisting of Colonel and four officers
and were not allowed to speak except to tell
our names, etc, and within fifteen minutes
after the court commenced we had been
tried and sentenced TO be banged. The
charge, of which we were not allowed a copy.
but which was read to rs, was that Of
entering the island for the proven purpose
of bringing aid and comfort 20 the insu.-
gents agaiuSt Che government of the com